Dunhill 1964 Root Briar EK Smooth Panel Billiard Estate Briar Pipe, Unsmoked

Description

To veteran pipe smokers, Dunhill needs no introduction. Beginning in 1907, Alfred Dunhill began selling Dunhill pipes at the tobacconist shop he owned on London’s Duke Street. Very quickly, these pipes gained the reputation of being the “Rolls-Royce” of pipes due to how expertly crafted they were. Today, Dunhill is likely Britain’s most famous pipe manufacturer, and continues to produce some of the most treasured pipes a smoker can buy.

Debuting in the 1920s, the “EK” was one of Dunhill’s “Quaint” shapes—i.e., shapes not in standard production, but made specifically when a block of briar was seen to be especially suited toward one shape or another. The shape itself was likely not Dunhill’s invention, but was, rather, a rendition of what is sometimes called a “foursquare,” or simply a “panel billiard.” It is a shape distinguished by its singularly geometric appearance, with an eight-sided bowl (the four at the front, rear, left, and right sides being the broadest and most prominent) and four-sided shank, which has the additional advantage of making it a sturdy sitter. As is a shape centered around flat planes, it needs to be approached rather carefully in both briar selection and manufacture, as each of its sides is a veritable screen through which its grain quality is broadcast to the world. Bird’s-eye grain, for example, is well-suited for this kind of surface, as can be seen on this one, as is cross-grain, which is a natural consequence of the cross-cut needed to bring out the former. This one comes from all the way back in 1964, during a very fondly remembered period in Dunhill pipe history, and is indeed a very beautiful example of the company’s output at the time.

This pipe is completely unsmoked, with an original bowl coating. It comes with its original box, sleeve, papers, and aluminum inner tube.

Details:

Length: 5.7″ / 144.7mm

Bowl Width: 0.77 / 19.55mm

Bowl Depth: 1.38″ / 35.05mm

Weight: 1.3oz / 38g